Craft



D. K. HUTCHCRAFT.

MR LIFT PUMP CONTROL.

APPLICATION man NOV. 6. 1911.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

D. K. HUTCHCRAFT.

AIR LIFT PUMP CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1911.

1 ,322,305. Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2Q INVENTOR.

I .Davza KHUTCHCRAFT.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID K. HUTCI-ICRAFT, 0F INDIANAPQLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 INDIANA AIR I PUMP COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

AIR-LIFT-PUMP CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed November 6, 1917. Serial No. 200,489.

thereof, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

In air 11ft pumps, for many purposes it is desirable to separate the air from the.

water at the top of the well by means of a separating chamber, by which the pressure of the separated air is utilized to force the water on into an associated system. The ac cumulated air in this separating chamber must be allowed to escape as it-accumulates, so as to maintain the proper pressure and proper water level therein and the constant 1 flow of water therefrom.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved and novel means for control ling the escape of air and water from such separating chamber, whereby a constant stream of air-free water is supplied or dis charged therefrom to any associated system, and the invention relates more particularly to means for controlling the escape of air from said separating chamber, which is accurately and sensitively controlled by the air pressure in the pump. This makes the action of said air escape control absolutely accurate and sensitive, so that the air pressure in the separating chamber will be the same as that in the pump system substantially, and just enough air will escape from the separating head as to maintain a uniform and desired air pressure in the separating chamber.

In this invention the air relief valve for the separating chamber, whereby a uniform pressure is maintained therein for the proper discharge of water therefrom, is made dependent upon the air pressure in the pump system, and, in the form particularly here shown, in the air line. The air pressure in the air line may greatly var Thus, if several pumps are supplied from one air control and some of those pumps be temporarily cut off, the air pressure in the air lines of the remaining pump or pumps would be immediately and greatly increased. If that 1ncreased Y pressure in the air line could not in the air line would cause-an increased.

opening in the air relief pressure in the separating chamber and a relief from any ap- A preciable additional air pressure in the separating chamber. Likewise, the air pressure from the control varies. If it diminishes, the reduced air pressure in the air line would cause a movement of the air relief valve correspondingly toward closing position. I Hence, the ideal control of the air relief valve from the separating tank is that which is dependent upon the air pressure in the air line or pump system.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a well having an air lift separator pump embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the separator and air escape controlling means. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the air escape controlling means.

At a suitable depth within the well casing 10 is located the air lift pump 11 of any suitable type, which air lift pump receives water from Within the well casing 10, and receives air from an air-supply pipe 12 supplied from a reservoir 13 in which the pressure is maintained by any suitable com pressor 14. The mixture of air and water produced within the pump 11 rises in the eduction pipe 15 and is discharged into a separating chamber 16, the eduction pipe 15 preferably extending through the bottom of the separating chamberand well up into it and being covered by a suitable umbrella or mushroom plate 17 with sides 17 overhanging the upper end of the eduction pipe 15 so as to deflect downward the water discharged from the eduction pipe 15 and allow the escape of the air from such water, the mushroom plate 17 and the perforations in the depending sides 17 assisting in the seperably through the bottom thereof and may be carried horizontally to any desired point and then turned upward to discharge into any suitable system, here a suitable reservoir 19, as clear from Fig. 1. The intake end of the water discharge pipe 18 within the easing 16 is located within a cylinder or bell 20 which at the bottom is provided with inlet openings 21, preferably wider at the top than at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 2. A cut-off ring 22 has a sliding fit on the cylinder 20 and is carried by an annular float 23 surrounding such cylinder, so that such cut-off ring rises and falls with the water level within the casing 16 and closes to a greater or lessdegree the openings 21 as the water level in such casing falls, so as to diminish the size of the outlet openings when the pressure above the water in the casing 16 (by which pressure the water level is depressed) increases, thus tending to maintain the outflowing stream through the pipe 18 constant.

A hollow cylindrical air escape chamber 25 is mounted on the top of the separating chamber 16, havin at its lower end an inlet port 26, which is in communication with the upper end of the chamber 16 which. contains the air which has been separated from the water. The port 26 is closed and controlled by valve 27 secured to the lower end of the valve rod 28 which is vertically movable through the nut 29, gland 30 and plate 31 which closes the upper end of the air escape chamber 25. The upper end of the valve rod 28 is secured at its upper end to 'a' piston 32 operating in a cylinder 33 which is secured upon the plate .31. In fact the bolts 3% extend through flanges on said cylinder 33, air escape chamber 25 and the intermediate plate 31, whereby those three parts are rigidly secured together. From the air escape chamber 25 there is an outlet 35 to the atmosphere or any place desi ed.

When the valve 27 is seated the piston 32 is held some distance above the plate 81 so as to leave an air chamber 36 into which air under pressure enters through the inlet 37 and pipe 38 leading from the air supply pipe 12 for the pump. The pipe 38 has in it a cut-off valve .39. hen there is weak air pressure or no air pressure in the chamber 36 the valve 27 will be held closed by .the spring l0 in the cylinder 33 which is a spiral spring lying between the piston 32 and disk ll at the top of the cylinder. A screw bolt 42 extends through the upper end of the cylinder 33 and has a lock nut 43 on it, whereby the tension of the spring can be accurately adjusted. In the upper end of the cylinder 33 there is an air vent ll.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the air pressure from the pump line controls the air escape valve 27 by accurately balancing the pressure of the spring a0 on piston 32 with the desired or normal air pressure in the pump line and in chamber 36, and valve 27 will be responsive to the air pressure in the pipe line. hen that pressure increases above normal it will force the piston 32 upward and open the valve 27 and permit the air to escape from the separating chamber 16. As soon as the escape of air makes the pressure in the separating chamber normal, then the valve 27 will assume normal position. If the pres sure in the pipe line goes below normal, then the spring l0 will force the valve 27 closed. By accurately adjusting the tension of spring 40, therefore, this device can be made to perform its function with unusual accuracy and sensitiveness, and as a result of my arrangement, the stream of water discharged from pipe 18 may be maintained substantially constant and substantially air free. Sometimes, however, the separation of the air from the water is not entirely complete when the water enters through the slots 21, so that some air is carried with the water into the cylinder 20. This air, though small in amount, might separate from the water within the cylinder 20, and collect at the top of such cylinder, and in the course of time might make the system airbound. In order to prevent this, I provide a pet cock which connects the space within the upper end of the cylinder 20 with the atmosphere, so as to provide a restricted escape vent for any air which may collect. By proper adjustment of the pet cock 50, any air which collects in the cylinder 20 may be permitted to escape while the vent is sufficiently restricted so as to prevent any material amount of water from passing through.

The invention claimed is:

1. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe, an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges with an outlet at the upper end for the normal passage of air from said chamber, a water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, a yieldingly closed valve for closing said out let, and means actuated by the air pressure in said pump system for opening said valve.

2. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe, an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, a water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, an air outlet chamber in communication with the upper end of the separating chamber for the normal passage of air from said separating chamber, a valve for controlling the outlet from the separating chamber to the air outlet chamber, and means mounted in connection with said air outlet chamber controlled by the air pressure in the pump sys tem for controlling said valve. 1

3. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe,

an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, a water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, a Valve for controlling the normal passage of air from the upper end of the separating chamber, an adjustable spring tending to hold said valve closed, and means adapted to be actuated by air under the pressure in said pump system for opposing the action of the spring and opening the valve.

4. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe, an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, a Water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, and means controlled by the air pressure in the air supply pipe of the pump for controlling the escape of air from the upper end of said separating chamber.

5. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe, an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, a Water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, means in said chamber for separating the air and water, and means controlled by the air pressure in the air supply pipe of the pump for controlling the escape of air from the upper end of said separating chamber.

6. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges having a normal air outlet at its upper end, a water outlet pipe leading from said cham ber, float controlled means for controlling the inlet of said water outlet pipe and movable toward open and closed positions upon rise and fall of the water level in said chamber, and means controlled by the air pressure in the air pump system for controlling the passag of air from the upper end of said separating chamber.

7. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, said chamber having an outlet for the air from the upper part thereof, a Water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, means for controlling the inlet to said Water outlet pipe, a valve for controlling the escape of air from the upper end of said chamber, and means controlled by the air pressure in the air supply pipe for controlling said valve.

8. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, said chamber having an'outlet for the air from the upper part thereof, a water outlet leading from said chamber, means for controlling the inlet to said Water outlet pipe, a valve for controlling the escape of air from the upper end of said chamber, a spring tending to hold'said valve closed, and means adapted to be actuated by the air under pressure from said air supply pipe in opposition to the action of said spring for opening the valve.

9. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, said chamber having an outlet for the ar from the upper part thereof, a water outlet pipe leading. from said chamber, means for controlling the inlet to said water outlet pipe, a valve for controlling the escape of air from the upper end of said chamber, a rod on said valve, a piston on said rod, a cylinder in which the piston operates, an air connection between said air supply pipe and the cylinder for actuating the piston and the valve, and a spring tending to close the valve.

10. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, said chamber having an outlet for the air from the upper part thereof, a water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, means for controlling the inlet to said water outlet pipe, a valve for controlling the escape of air from the upper end of said chamber, a rod on said valve, a piston on said rod, a cylinder in which the piston operates, an air connection between the air pump system and the cylinder for actuating the piston and the valve, a spring tending to close the valve, and means for adjustin the tension of the spring.

11. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, said chamber having an outlet for the air from the upper part thereof, a water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, means for controlling the inlet to said water outlet pipe, a valve for controlling the escape of water from the upper end of said chamber, a rod on said valve, a piston on said rod, a cylinder in which the piston operates, an air connection between said air supply pipe and the cylinder for actuating the piston and the valve, a spiral spring in said cylinder with one end acting against said piston and air pressure for closing the valve, a disk in sa d cylinder engaging the other end of said spring, and a set screw extending through the end of the cylinder for moving said disk to adjust the tension of the spring.

12. An air lift separator pump including an air lift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduction pipe discharges, said separating chamber having an outlet for the normal passage of air from the upper part thereof, a water outlet pipe leadingfrom said chamber, means for controlling the inlet to said outlet pipe, an air receiving chamber secured to the upper end of said separatin chamber and having a port communicating with the outlet from said separating chamber and also an outlet opening for the escape of the air, a valve for closing the port communicating with the separating chamber for regulating the passage of air therefrom, and means controlled by air under pressure from the air pump system for controlling the operation of said valve.

18. An air lift separator pump including an airlift pump having an air supply pipe and an eduction pipe, a separating chamber into which said eduetion pipe discharges, said separating chamber having an outlet for the escape of air from the upper part thereof, a water outlet pipe leading from said chamber, means for controlling the in let to said outlet pipe, an air escape chamber secured to the upper end of said separating chamber and having a port communicating with the outlet from said separating chamber and also an outlet opening for the escape of the air, a valve for closing the port communicating with the separating chamber for regulating the escape of air therefrom,

a plate on sand air escape chamber, a valve rod connected with said valve and extending through said plate, a cylinder secured to said plate, a piston secured to the outer end of said valve rod and operating in said cylinder, a spring in said cylinder acting on said piston to close the valve, and a connection extending from said air pump system to the end of said cylinder for actuating the piston against the influence of the spring and opening the valve.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

DAVID K. HUTCHCRAFT. 

